Lifeboat engaging and release gear



Sept. 27, 1955 R. c. FAWKES 2,

. LIFEBOAT ENGAGING AND RELEASE GEAR Filed Dec. 27, 1951' 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Sept. 27, 1955 R. c. FAW'KES 2,718,645

LIFEBOAT ENGAGING AND RELEASE GEAR Filed Dc. 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2United States Patent 6) LIFEBOAT ENGAGING AND RELEASE GEAR.

Robert- Cameron Fawkes, Ilford; England Application December 27,1951,Serial-No. 263,654

Claimspriority, application Great 'Britain' July 3, 19.51

6..laims.v (Cl.- 9-45);

Lifcboatsand such likeauxiliary. boatsor vessels, here! inaften referredtogenerally aslifeboats, are. generally held. on. shipboard. by being:slung each between, a pair of. davits which have suitable. tacklessuchas-cable or chainwwithhooksat the ends;which engage with couplingelementsat. theforeandlaft ends respectively of the boat.

The. object of thisinvention is .to provide an improved form of tackleengaging; andrelease unit for installation one at each end of alifeboatv to, enablethe latter to be suspended between spaced-apartsupporting tackles, the unit providing for fitting the tackle engagingelements at variable centres. as between the fore and aft ends of theboat and to provide for quick release from the tackles when the boat iswaterborne.-

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference willnowbemade tothe: accompanying-drawings which-illustrate atackle engagingand release unit according to the invention. and. a, lifeboatincorporating a pair of said units andoperating gear therefor.

In the drawings;

Figure l is .a diagrammaticzview inrlongitudinal elevation of a lifeboatfitted with the said units and gear,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view in plan of the lifeboat showingparticularly the layout of the operating gear,

Figure 3 is a cross section, generally on the line III-III in Figure 4,of one of the unit assemblies mounted at the fore or aft end of the boatas may be,

Figure 4 is an elevation of the housing or support for the retractabletackle engaging pin and its pendulum loading lever, and

Figure is a detail in side elevation of the spacer members between thepair of mounting frame members of the assembly shown in Fig. 3.

The gear shown comprises two identical unit assemblies A and B (Figures1, 2 or 3) one of which is shown in detail in Figure 3. Each unitassembly comprises a pair of elongated frame bar members 1, 1, mountedin parallel array at the fore or aft end of the boat as the case may be,the frame members defining spaced apart cheeks which enable the hook orring of the supporting tackle to be passed therebetween with adequateclearance. Along the length of each frame bar member 1 are two series ofholes 2 and 3 to provide for selectively positioning the tackle engagingelements (4) of the units at the appropriate centres to suit the boat;such a feature has the advantage of flexibility in mounting especiallywhen the centres between the supporting tackle hooks are not known whenthe boat is ordered. Each tackle engaging element comprises a slidingpin 4 which engages in opposite holes of a pair of the series of holes 3to form a bridge across the cheeks of the pair of opposite frame barmembers 1, with which bridge the tackle can be engaged. The pin 4 issupported in a boss 5 on a housing bracket plate 6 of triangular shape(see Figure 2). At the two base corners of the plate 6 two bolt holes 7are provided so spread as to align with holes in the series 2 when thepin 4 is engaging in a pair in the series .3, and this permits fixingholts 8to.be passed" through .the aligned holes for clamping; the plateto. the. frame bar members. 1. A.spacer 9 iszinterposedbetween the framemembers. 1; being of 'U-shape to: comeund'er the pin 4 andhaving lugs 10at each side.of"the base to receive. the fixing bolts 8.- The. spacerextendsup, and

around' the pin with plenty of clearance to. allow for the insertion ofthe supporting tackle hook, and provides a general protectionfor thevarious parts, being terminated at'the mouth by. flanges 11 which lieover the edges of the. frame members. 1'to provide alead-in for thetackle,

anda protection for the frame edges.

The pin 4 is held normally in the. closed or-bridging position by apendulum: loading. lever. 12' which. is, carried by a pivot 13in turnsupported by a pair of'paralll; lugs 14 projecting at! right anglesfrom. the mounting piate 6' and from under the pin .housingboss 5; It iscon? venient'that the plate 6, boss 5 and lugs 14' are made as. a onepiece casting. The short arm of'the lever extends, above the pivot 13,terminating in a knob. 15. which rotatably fits in an axial slot1'6fin.a tail piece 17 ofthe pin 41 The long arm of the pendulum has abob-Weight 18 secured. thereto, adjustably if desired, and terminates inaneye piece 19ifor connection thereto of the operating cable. Itwill'beobserved-that" the pendulum lever, 12" will tend to keep the pin 4 inthe closedposition shown in Figure. 3, but that when the lever is,turned. clockwise, the pin is retracted until..that. portion.whichhridges. the. frame members 1 is withdrawn into the. housihgSlSuch. a retractionof" the pin. 4 can readily be effected Whlenfithevboatis' waterborne after lowering by the, tackles, which support italong the sh.ips.s,ide.

The operating mechanism for. theretractable pins. 4. at eachend of' theboat, provides, for simultaneous. re: traction thereof; by means of,flexible transmissionele: ments in the form of chains or cables 20moving over pulleys 21 which are connected at one end to the eye piecesof the respective pendulum lever 12 and at the other end to wire rods 22supported in guides 23. An operating handle 24 connects the flexibleelements from either end at an intermediate point, and is readilyavailable so that a pull thereon draws the bob-weights 18 inwardstowards the boat centre line so that the pendulum levers 12 turnclockwise to withdraw the pins 4. When the handle is released, theWeights 18 return the levers 12 and therefore the pins 4 to the normalclosed position. The operating gear is carried under the side seatingimmediately behind the buoyancy tank cleading as provided in the usuallifeboat, so that the gear forms no obstruction.

Various alternatives are possible to the method of quick release hereinshown. Thus, a simple hook with selecting adjustment as to position maybe employed to provide for easy release or vice versa when the boat iswaterborne.

I claim:

1. Tackle engaging and release unit for installation on a lifeboat,comprising a mounting frame for fixing lengthwise fore and aft at oneend of the boat including spaced apart vertical cheeks, means clampingsaid cheeks together, including a U-spacer having a mouth which forms atackle lead-in, a tubular housing boss projecting from one cheek incoincidence with co-axial holes in said checks which are disposedbetween the bight and the mouth of the U-spacer, a horizontal tackleengaging element slidably mounted in said housing boss from a tackleengaged position in which said element engages said holes so as tobridge said cheeks, to a tackle release position clear of the spacebetween said cheeks and vice versa, a lateral projection from under saidhousing boss, a pendulum loading lever carried by a pivot at the end ofsaid projection, said lever having one arm connected to said element anda weighted arm which depends below the pivot to bias the lever normallyto a position in which it holds the element in said bridging position.

2. Tackle engaging and release unit acording to claim- 1, wherein saidprojection fromunder the housing boss comprises a pair of lugs forming afork and said pivot is carried between the ends of the fork with thelever arms located between the lugs, and an abutment on said forkinwardly of the pivot to engage the first of said arms of the loadinglever whereby to determine the bridging position.

'3. Tackle engaging and release unit for installation in a lifeboat,comprising a mounting frame for fixing lengthwise fore and aft at oneend of the boat including spaced apart cheeks, a housing, means clampingsaid cheeks together and the housing to one of said cheeks so'that itprojects laterally therefrom, said means including a U-shape spacerbetween the cheeks, a tackle engaging elem'ent embraced by said spacerand slidably mounted in said housing from a tackle engaged positionbridging said cheeks to a tackle release position clear of the spacebetween said cheeks and vice versa, and a pendulum loading leverpivotally mounted on said housing, and connected to bias the saidelement to the bridging position.

4. Tackle engaging and release unit for installation on a lifeboatcomprising an elongated mounting frame for fixing lengthwise fore andaft at one end of the boat, said frame consisting of an assembly of twoparallel bars defining spaced apart cheeks, a plurality of securingpositions defined by groups of holes in two rows of holes between theends of said bars, a slidable tackle engaging element bridging saidcheeks, a housing for said element projecting laterally from one of saidcheeks, pendulum loading means pivotally carried on the housing, aconnection between the element and the loading means to hold the elementin the bridging position, and means including a U-shape spacer securingboth the 4, i bars together and the housing to one of the bars in one ofsaid positions with the tackle engaging'element bridging coincidentholes in said bars and the spacer embracing said element.

5. Tackle engaging and release unit according to claim 4 and includingflanges to said spacer overlying the longitudinal edges of said bars toprovide a lead-in guide and a protector during engagement or release ofthe tackle.

6. Tackle engaging and release unit for installation in a lifeboat,comprising a mounting frame including spaced apart vertical cheeks forfixing lengthwise fore and aft at one end of the boat, a housingbracket, in-

cluding a tubular boss projecting laterally therefrom, a

tackle engaging element slidable in said boss, said cheeks having agroup of holes defining a securing position for said bracket on the sideof one of said cheeks and a housing for the said element in bridgingposition across the cheeks, means clamping said cheeks together and thebracket to said check including bolts passing through some of said holesand a U-shape spacer disposed between said cheeks and embracing saidelement in bridging position, and a pendulum loading lever pivotallymounted on said bracket and having an upward arm connected to saidelement and a downward arm provided with a weight which holds the leverwith said element in bridging position.

References Cited in the file of this patent

